Following is a poem written by Gail Larsen, Crossroads’ Quality Assurance Manager, celebrating Darcy and her retirement. (Gail’s known for her poems at Crossroads. We think you’ll see why after reading.)

Darcy’s Retirement, by Gail Larsen

Where did 21 years go? How quickly they all transpired.
So hard believe that they are all gone and that Darcy’s about to retire.
So many memories, achievements, eccentricities,
Conquests and coups, results, idiosyncrasies
Let’s start there

Her motto is simple she says with a smile
Whatever you do is worth doing with style
We mere mortals feel sometimes just function’s worthwhile
But she deems that marginal, perhaps even vile

She decorates, designs, inspects, defines
Polishes, measures, disects, and refines
Whatever she sees must never look frivolous
It must appear flawless, but preferably “fabulous”

She’s selective, discerning, and flaws she’ll contest
Each inch of each program must pass her QA test.
She must check all materials; is the label the best?
Things out of order cause her significant stress

A picture askew, questionable attire
Unlevel window blinds, or a tangle of wires
All of these things she is certain conspire
To assault all her senses, set her temper on fire

But little things others may find extreme
Sooth her sensibilities, perhaps make her beam
Who but Darcy could care or could dream
Ralph Lauren paint comes in endless shades of crème?

You may recall her passion for crème
All surfaces were covered with the crème color scheme
But we’ve now moved beyond that one color theme
All the way to taupe–a color it seems has a palette of infinite subtleties

As she examines all programs within and without
For suspected or potential tackiness throughout
We may roll our eyes at her fussing about
But we must admit we all love her results.

If you are newer to Crossroads you may not know
Of the honor and gratitude all of us owe
For all Darcy’s done to protect us and grow
Adding CAMP, the Commons, Day Care and Back Cove

Few here may know of risks she had to take
To banish barbarians far from our gate
Were it not for her vigilance in keeping us safe
Crossroads may have suffered a more ominous fate

Darcy you know is a force and a warrior
To rival anything nature can muster
She’s a frenetic, kinetic, debater, confronter
And if you threaten Crossroads you could be done for

Crossroads was sometimes in mortal peril
Once it closed for a month due to funding levels
Darcy had faith we would win this battle
But would key staff remain during the vigil?

One thing she did then on Crossroads’ behalf
Was to cook gourmet meals for all of the staff
These must have been epicurean repasts
As the legend of them continues to last

And when I came to Crossroads I was impressed
With Program Tracker she had built us a database
It was a tool no provider in Maine yet possessed
But a tool with which they were all quite obsessed

Recently we heard Tim Sample reflect
About addiction and recovery and the ripple effect
He notes the addiction ripple will always infect
All life in its path if it continues unchecked

But so does the recovery ripple, he notes
As each healing person it tenderly coats
So for all you have done to keep Crossroads afloat
You’ve paid it forward so we can freely promote

Darcy’s ripple effect on others still suffering
It’s on their behalf it is you we’re now thanking
So they can have hope for what you’ve earned and been given
A most noble career and a life worth living
Thank you, Darcy, for making an extraordinary difference

Crossroads is CARF accredited, a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, and is committed to providing high quality care to women, men, and families struggling with substance use and mental health disorders.